Combined machine and optical system



Dec. 1939- E. D. WILSOIN ET AL 2,182,651

COMBINED MACHINE AND OPTICAL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES: INVENTORS 44 Ear/D. Wilson and I W G'ZengzE Sta/r2.

. 5, 1939- E. D. WILSON ET AL COMBINED MACHINE AND OPTICAL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTORS Wz/son and Earl Z).

WITItIESiEZJi Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES COMBINED MACHINE AND OPTICAL SYSTEM Earl D. Wilson, Wilkinsburg, and Glenn E. Stoltz,

Edgewood, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 17, 1938, Serial No. 190,996

3 Claims.

Our invention relates, generally, to a machine provided with an optical system and, more particularly, to a reversible rolling mill, or the like, provided with an optical system for viewing operations hidden from the operators direct view.

In the operation of the usual slabbing mill or blooming mill, the controls for the mill are located in what is commonly known as a pulpit which is so situated as to give the operator a good view of one side of the mill so that the operator may see the condition of the ingot, slab or billet and its position relative to the rolls. It is necessary that the operator know the position of the entering end of the piece of metal being rolled since the metal must be moved to entering position rapidly, it must be started into the rolls slowly and the mill must then be accelerated to full running speed. It will be seen that the operator will save time in the rolling'operation in proportion to the proximity to the rolls to which he can move the metal at high speed before slowing it down to the necessary low entering speed.

The direct view that the operator has of one side of the rolls allows him to operate the mill efliciently during the pass of the slab through the mill from the side of the mill of which he has a good view. The dimensions and shape of the mill are such that when a direct view of one side of the rolls and the adjacent area can be had from a fixed position, such as the operators bridge, a direct view cannot be had of the other side of the rolls and the adjacent area from that position. It follows that, when the mill is reversed and the slab is being fed to the mill from the side of the mill of which the operator has no direct view, the operator can only guess at the position of the entering end of the slab.

It will be apparent that, with the operator guessing at the position of the entering end of the slab as it approaches the rolls, because he cannot clearly see the slab, it will be necessary that the slab be moved at the low speed of approximately the speed at which it is necessary that the slab enter the rolls, through a very considerable distance just prior to the entry of the slab into the rolls. If the slab were moved at a speed comparable with the approach speed on the other side of the mill, this speed might be continued too long and the slab would strike the roll at this approach speed causing improper entry of the slab into the rolls and resulting in damage to the rolls.

" A device for removing the scale from the slab, comprising a mechanism for spraying the slab with water under high pressure, is mounted on some slabbing mills on the side of the mill opposite to that on which the operator is situated. This descaling device includes a horizontally mounted pipe adjustable vertically by the operator so that it may be moved up out of the waywhen the slab is being passed in the direction of travel from the operator to the machine and moved down into operative position close to the slab when the slab is being passed in the opposite direction. It is highly desirable that the operator know the exact position of the descaling device at all times so that he may properly position it with respect to the slab while it is in operation and so that he may be sure that it is sufiiciently elevated to prevent damage to it by being struck by. the end of the slab,

It sometimes happens that the trailing end of the slab is turned up asit leaves the rolls. In this condition the end of the slab will not enter the rolls properly on the return pass and if the end is turned up suificiently, it may strike and damage the descaling mechanism.

For these reasons, it is highly desirable that the operator, situated on one side of the mill, have a good view of the rolls and the area adjacent thereto on the other side of the mill.

An object of the invention is to provide an optical system in combination with a rolling mill which shall function to provide for the operator of the mill who is situated on one side of the mill, a view of the rolls and the adjacent area on the other side of the mill.

Another object of the invention is to provide an optical system in combination with a rolling mill which shall function to provide for the operator of the mill, who is situated at a fixed control position on one side of the mill, a relatively large clear bioptical view of the rolls and the area adjacent thereto on the other side of the mill.

A further object of the invention is to provide an optical system whereby a rolling mill operator situated in the operators pulpit may have a view of the reverse side of the mill, and.

which will occupy a minimum of space, which will not interfere with maintenance and repair operations of the mill, and which may be easily maintained in eflicient operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a View in perspective of a rolling mill with one embodiment of our invention combined therewith showing the cooperative relation of the reverse side of the mill, the optical system and the operators pulpit;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 showing a large part of the optical system placed underground;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an optical system such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 showing the general arrangement of lenses, reflectors and enclosing tubes;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section,

of a part of the optical system enclosure showing a pressure regulating device mounted thereon and showing one of the reflectors mounted therein;

Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the reflectors used in the system showing the adjustable mounting means for the mirror; and

Fig. 6 is a side View, partly in section, showing the manner in which the lenses are mounted in the optical system enclosure.

In carrying out our invention, we provide a convex reflector so dimensioned and situated as to provide a field of view including the rolls, a large portion of the mill and a considerable length of the runout table on one side of the mill. The image provided by the convex reflector is transmitted by a series of reflectors and convergent lenses to a viewing reflector positioned near the mill operator so that he may have a clear view of the reverse side of the mill and a view of such dimensions as to apprise him of the details of conditions on that side of the mill. The optical system is so dimensioned and situated with respect to the mill as to permit free movement of cranes and other maintenance apparatus about the mill. The system is enclosed by air-tight tubing and has only a plate glass Window at each end to be kept clean. A bellows device is provided for equalizing the pressure inside and outside the enclosure for the system so that there will not be any tendency to leakage of air into the enclosure due to changes in pressure outside the enclosure.

Referring now to the drawings, we have shown, in Fig. l, a rolling mill I 6, with the optical system 12 combined therewith, the viewing end I4 of the optical system being situated in a position to obtain a full view of the reverse side of the mill, the

slab i5 and a considerable portion of the runout table rolls H. The sighting end It is situated near the operator !8 in his position at the controls 20 on the pulpit 22.

The optical system may comprise a series of refiectors and lenses best shown in Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 3, a convex reflector 24 is mounted in a box member 26 in a position to provide a full view of the reverse side of the mill and of the slab l5 and the runout table rolls IT. The box member 26 is connected by a tubing section 28 with a box member 3! in which there is mounted a plain reflector 32. At right angles to the tubing section 28 a tubing section 34 extends from box member 30 to the box member 66 in which a converging lens 38 is mounted. Tubing section 40 connects the box member 36 with the box member 42 in which there is mounted a plain reflector 44. A box member 46, in which there is mounted a plain reflector 48, is connected to box member 42 by means of the tubing section 56 and a tubing section 52 extends from box member 46 to box member 54 in which there is mounted a second converging lens 56. From the box member 54 a tubing section 58 extends to box member 60 in which there is mounted a plain reflector 62, and box member 66 is, in turn, connected by tubing section 64 with a box member 68 in which there is mounted a plain reflector 10.

The system shown in the plan view of Fig. 3 differs from that shown in Fig. l in that the system of Fig. 3 is shown with additional right angle turns to illustrate the flexibility of the system.

The system of box members and. tubing elements is made airtight so that no dust may enter the system to decrease its optical efliciency by clouding the reflectors and lenses. At the viewing end a flared tubing member I2 is mounted on the box member 26 and. is so dimensioned as to permit the desired field of vision to be picked up by the concave mirror 26 while excluding undesirable external light from the optical system. The flared tubing member 12 is covered by a cover 14 preferably of plate glass. A flared member 16 covered by a plate glass member 18 is also mounted on the box member 68 at the sighting end of the optical system. With the optical system thus enclosed only the plate glass members l4 and 18 are exposed to smoke and dust and only these two members need be cleaned to keep the optical system operating efliciently.

In order that there be no tendency to breathe in the enclosure for the optical system due to differences in pressure that might be set up'between the inside of the enclosure and the outside atmosphere, a sylphon bellows arrangement is mounted to communicate with the inside of the system so that it may contract or expand to equalize the pressure on the inside and the outside of the optical system enclosure. The bellows 80 may be placed at any convenient point on the system enclosure.

The convex reflector 24 is so dimensioned as to form an image of the desired field of view on the reverse side of the mill. The lens 38 is spaced along the optical system a distance equal to twice its focal length from the virtual image formed by the convex reflector 24. The lens 56 is similar in dimensions to the lens 38 and is spaced along the optical system from the lens 38 a distance of twice its focal length. The distance from the lens 56 to the eyes of the operator is substantially the focal length of the lens 56.

It will be seen that it is necessary that the lenses 38 and 56 be designed with their focal lengths substantially A5 of the distance from the eyes of the operator to the image formed by the convex reflector 24. The effect of this optical system will be that of placing the eyes of the operator at a point spaced from the convex viewing reflector 24 substantially the focal length of the lenses 38 and 56, which is substantially of the distance from the eyes of the operator to the viewing reflector 24; thus giving the operator a view of the reflection in the convex viewing reflector 24 from a point, the distance of which from the reflector 24 is only of the actual distance in the optical system of the eyes of the operator from the reflector 24.

The sizes of the sighting reflector 10 and the other elements of the optical system are so chosen as to present to the operator a view sufliciently large to be readily seen with both eyes so that he may be apprised of all the conditions on the reverse side of the mill.

In Fig. 2 there is shown an optical system such as that just described in connection with Figs. 1 and 3 in which a large part of the tubing enclosing-the optical system is placed under ground to thus provide greater freedom of movement of the cranes and other maintenance equipment about the mill. It will be apparent that a greater length of enclosing tubing will be required for the system of Fig. 2 and the actual optical distance from the eyes of the operator through the optical system to the Viewing reflector will be greater. This will require that the lenses be designed with greater focal lengths since it is necessary that their focal lengths be substantially of the distance in the optical path from the eyes of the operator to the image in the viewing reflector.

Fig. 4 shows the relative positions of the tube sections and the box members and the reflectors mounted in the box members. The relation of the pressure regulating bellows 89 at the enclosure of the optical system is also illustrated in Fig. 4, the like reference characters indicating like elements in the figures of the drawings.

In Fig. there is shown one method of mounting the reflectors in the box members. A clamping device comprising a frame member 82, which clamps the reflector 32, has secured to it a ball 84 which is held by an adjustable wing nut 86 between the socket jaws 88. In this manner the reflector may be held in any adjusted position.

A method of mounting the lens members is shown in Fig. 6. The box member 36 containing lens member 38 has spaced strips 98 secured to its opposite Walls so that the lens 38 may be slid into the box and be held in place by the strip members 90. A suitable cover 92 for the box 36 is provided, the cover member 92 being secured in position and so fitted to the box as to provide an airtight closure.

It will be seen that we have provided an optical system in combination with a rolling mill which will provide for the operator of the rolling mill, while in his operating position at the controls for the mill, a large clear view of the reverse side of the mill, the runout table at a substantial distance from the mill and the entering end of the slab as it enters the mill in the reverse direction, so that the operator may known the exact position of the entering end of the slab with respect to the mill rolls, the condition of the end of the slab and the position and condition of other auxiliary apparatus on the reverse side of the mill such for instance, as scale removing apparatus, so that the speed of operation of the mill may be increased and the rollers may be protected from damage due to improper entry of the end of the slab into the mill.

It is to be understood that a diflerent number of lenses may be used in this system to prevent presenting to the observer an approximately inverted image, and other optical means such as a right-angled total reflection prism or its equivalent mirror system may be .used to turn the image the required amount to present it to the operator at any desired angle.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes, we have shown herein the preferred embodiments of our invention. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise constructions shown and described but is capable of modification by one skilled in the art, the embodiments herein shown being merely illustrative of the principles of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. The combination with a rolling mill having an operators pulpit so positioned as to prevent the operator from directly viewing the rolls of the mill and the area adjacent thereto while stationed in control position in the pulpit, a convex reflector positioned to provide a virtual image of the rolls and the area adjacent thereto, said reflector being disposed angularly with respect to the said rolls and the area adjacent thereto, a second reflector angularly disposed with respect to said convex reflector to project said image in the general direction of the operators pulpit, an optical system for transferring said image to such a position in the pulpit as to permit the operator to view the image while stationed in control position, said optical system comprising a reflector and lens converging system for producing such dimensions of the image, as presented to the operator, as to make the apparent distance from the operator to the image substantially less than the actual distance from the operator to the image, and a substantially tubular enclosure and support for said convex reflector, said second reflector and said lens and reflector system, means supporting said enclosure and support in cooperative relation with the mill, said enclosure having transparent end portions through which light from said rolls and the area adjacent thereto is transmitted to said convex reflector and from said lens and reflector system to the operator.

2. The combination with a rolling mill having an operators pulpit so positioned as to prevent the operator from directly viewing the rolls of the mill and the area adjacent thereto while stationed in control position in the pulpit, a convex reflector positioned to provide a virtual image of the rolls and the area adjacent thereto, said reflector being disposed angularly with respect to the said rolls and the area adjacentthereto, a second reflector angularly disposed with respect to said convex reflector to project said image in the general direction of the operators pulpit, a reflector and converging lens system for magnifying and transmitting said image to the operator, a substantially tubular enclosure and support for said convex reflector, said second reflector and said system of lenses and reflectors, and means so supporting and positioning said tubular enclosure with respect to the mill as to preclude interference of the enclosure and support with the normal movements of the parts of the mill and handling equipment therefor during normal maintenance and repair operations.

3. The combination with a rolling mill having an operators pulpit so positioned as to prevent the operator from directly viewing the rolls of the mill and the area adjacent thereto while stationed in control position in the pulpit, a convex reflector positioned to provide a virtual image of the rolls and the area adjacent thereto, said reflector being disposed angularly with respect to the said rolls and the area adjacent thereto, a second reflector angularly disposed with respect to said convex reflector to project said image in the general direction of the operators pulpit, a reflector and converging lens system for magnifying and transmitting said image to the operator, a substantially tubular enclosure and support for said convex reflector, said second reflector and said reflector and lens system, means so supporting and positioning said tubular enclosure with respect to the mill as to preclude interference of the enclosure and support with the normal movements of the parts of the mill and handling equipment therefor during normal maintenance and repair operations, said tubular enclosure having transparent end portions through which light from said rolls and the area adjacent thereto is transmitted to said convex reflector and system of lenses and from said system of lenses to the operator and being substantially airtight whereby a minimum of optical surfaces will be exposed to conditions from which such surfaces may be damaged or coated with dust.

- EARL D. WILSON.

GLENN E. STOLTZ. 

